Heating apparatus.



B. J. SMITH.

HEATING APPARATUS.

APPVLIOAIION FILED FEB. 4, 1911.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

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HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4, 1911.

Patented Mar. 10, 191 1 2 BHEETB-BHEET 2.

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ELMER 3'. SMITH, OF DETROIT,

s ATENT onrrcn mcnres i nssrcnon 'ro PETER SMITH HEATER HEATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Application filed February 4, 1911. Serial No. 806,550.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER J. SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates generally to a heating mechanism, and more particularly to an apparatus of the hot-air type, especially de signed in the present instance for use in connection with street railway cars, but as will be obvious from the following description is susceptible of other analogous uses.

The invention comprehends a construction that will allow the air supply to be taken either from the exterior or interior of the compartment to be heated, as for instance the car, or partially from each source, according to the temperature of the atmosphere, it being frequently desirable in entremely cold weather to provide an air sup ply for the apparatus that has been heated or partially heated, whereby better heating results and economy in fuel consumption is obtained.

The invention further comprises various details oi construction, and their peculiar arrangements and combinations, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 a sectional perspective view of an embodiment: of my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical central sec tion, illustrating the interior construction of the apparatus; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view, showing a detail oi. construction; and Fig. i is a sectional view, showing' the application of the apparatus to a street railway car.

in its preferred form, the apparatus consists oi an external casing A. resting upon a suitable support B, which in car heating may be the car flooring. The casing bottom C is provided with a circular series oi apertures a adapted to register with corresponding vertical openings 6 in the :tilooring, constituting fresh air inlets. Controlling these openings is a circular damper 1D, pivoted centrally for rotation in a horizontal plane. For a purpose hereinafter set forth. a vent stack E is provided for the casing at its top, and openings 0 d are formed in said top. Within casing is formed an air inlet opening 0 adapted to receive its supply from the interior of the car or compartment that is to be heated. F is a slide damper controlling this inlet,.and G is a connection between the latter damper and the bottom damper D, the construction and arrangement of parts being such that the movement oi either damper will cause a corresponding shifting); of the other, the dampers being so arranged however that when one is closed the other will be entirely opened. The connection referred to is preferably in the form of a bent rod pivoted to the circular damper D, having a transverse portion a extending through the slide damper and projecting some distance thercbeyond, forming a haudle or operating member, by means of which both dampers may be actuated.

Projecting across the outer casing near its bottom portion is a transverse partition formed with a plurality of openings y, arranged preferably in the partition near the corners, as indicated in Fig. 1. Mounted upon this horizontal member is an inner casing; 1, arranged concentrically within the outer casing; and spaced therefrom, forming an outer annular air chamber 1 2 and an inner chamber 1 inclosed by the outer.

A conduit J leads from the top of the inner" casingto the discharge opening; (Z, establishing communication between the inner air chamber and the conduit included in the propelling mechanism shortly to be described. From the bottom portion 01 the inner casing themain discharge conduit K leads, projecting through the outer casing as shown and adapted to carry heated air from the inner chamber within the car or compartment to be heated. This dischar 'e conduit is of any desired length, and 111 car heating may be formed with a plurality of openings, as it, through which the heated air may be uniformly distributed within the car interior.

one of the sides, as f, of the Mounted upon the top of the outer casing is an air propelling mechanism of any suitable construction, including a motor 0 and a fan of any approved type adapted to be operated thereby, the casing P of which is provided with an intake 2' connecting with the opening 0 in the casing top and with a discharge section 7' having communication with the duct J. As will be obvious, the intake pipe or duct and the discharge section form in connection with the fan casing a conduit connecting the inner and outer air chambers.

When used for street car heating, the ap paratus may be applied as shown in Fig. 4, all of the apparatus with the exception of the discharge conduit being located in the v vestibule, while the main discharge pipe leads therefrom within the car and positioned in proximity to the flooring so as to distribute the heat uniformly through the car interior. The heater may be so arranged that the slide damper F opens into the vestibule, receiving its air supply from that source and where it can be under the supervision of the motorman or conductor.

In most instances, the apparatus in operation has the bottom damper D entirely open, so as to receive a supply of cold air, and the slide F closed. By this arrangement, outside air is drawn by the fan upwardly through the outer air chamber round the inner, and thus partially heate through the fan casing, and is then forced downwardly through the inner airchamber about the heater proper, where it is still further heated, and is finally discharged within the car. In extremely cold weather, when it is desired to supply heated air to the apparatus the dampers are reversed, the slide being opened by the operator, which compels the closing movement of the bottom damper. The direction of the air currents through the apparatus is as before pointed out, merely the source of supply being changed. By opening the slide part way, a mixture of heated air from the car and cold air. from the outside will be supplied' Thus, the de sired temperature of the air supply may be regulated to a nicety to suitthe conditions of the weather.

In the majority of cases, the cars before making the run stand in the sheds or harm some ittle time, and, while waiting, the

heater is in operation to maintain the proper temperature, but the air propelling mechanism is not operated. In the absence of a forced draft through the mechanism,

there is great tendency of over-heating, with consequent damage to the car and apparatus. To guard against this I have so constructed the mechanism that a current of a air will pass preferably between the two casings through the outer air chamber and be discharged outside of the car, this serving to'vent the outer air chamber and thereby cool the latter and at the same time exert a cooling effect upon the inner chamber and the heater therein. In the present form of apparatus, the cooling is effected through the agency of the stack' E in connection with the damper-controlled intakes of the mechanism. When the air propelling means is operatin very little if anyair Wlll pass out througl i the vent stack. When the motor is inactive, a current of air is induced through either the bottom or slide damper, passes upwardly within the outer air chamher, and then outwardly through the stack. In this manner the over-heating of the apparatus is prevented, and preferably the means for effecting this result is automatic in its operation.

What I claim as my invention, is- 1. In a heating apparatus, the combination with an outer casing, of a vent stack communicating therewith, an inner casing having an air inlet at its top and an air outlet at its base, a heater in the inner cas-.

inner casing and out from the lower part of the inner casing whereby the suction of the air propelling means when the latter is in operation will influence the passage of the air inwardly through the stack and will permit the passage of heated air outwardly through the stack when idle.

2. In a-heating apparatus,- the combination with a casing having a vent stack communicating therewith, of a heater having a,

due exten ng. through the stack and of a diameter less than that of the stack to form an air space. therebetween, an inner casing surrounding the heater, and an air forcing means communicating with the outer an the inner casing and arranged to create a suction within the said vent stack, when said air forcing means is in operation, and

permitting the escape of heated air through said stackiwhen the said, air propelling means is at rest.

.' v3. In a heating apparatus, the combination with an inner and an outer casing, a vent stack'comnannicating with the upper part of the outer casing, and air forcing heated air through the said stack when the means operatively associated with the cassaid air propelling means is at rest. 10 ing and the vent stack whereby a pressure In testimony whereof I aflix my signature less thanthat of the atmosphere is created in presence of two witnesses.

within the outer casing, thereby preventing ELMER J. SMITH. the escape of heated air through the vent Witnesses: stack during the operation of the air pro- JAMns P. BARRY,

pelling means, but permitting the escape of WILLIAM PAGEh 

